Teaching is HARD work and that week of appreciation hits WAY too close to the end of the school year. Each district demonstrates appreciation in different ways and if you teach at secondary, families pretty much don’t celebrate you at all.

Instead of waiting for someone else to pour into you, give yourself exactly what YOU need this teacher appreciation week!

I. The Gift of Time

I challenge you to leave at contract time…EVERY day of teacher appreciation week! And that doesn’t mean counter this with coming in super early either! Nice try – caught you there.

Come and leave at contract time. We often tell ourselves there is no way this can work, but we can make it work for at least a week. YOU deserve the time…whether its to sleep a little longer, snuggle your littles a little tighter, or simply have some quiet, slow time for yourself.

Close down your desk, lock up your door, and leave your computer in your room. Totally disconnect! Maybe you’ll be inspired to sprinkle more of these weeks into the rest of the school year. 🤓 🫶🏼

II. Treat Your Senses

Plan a special trip to a coffee shop you love or a lunch spot you just can’t pass up. Adding in a little sweet treat or savory bite brings a little pop to the week. Often its the little joys that fill our cups the most!

Not big into coffee or lunch stops, think about adding some pop to your classroom. Have you been eyeing a new, colorful set of pens, a fun keyboard & mouse combo? Treat yourself!

Maybe you’re a plant person! Spring is the perfect time of year to add a new plant to your space. My recommendation would be to grab a plant that is low maintenance. Not sure where to start? I wrote a blog that can walk you through it! I give you the run-down on 10 Easy-Care Plants that are perfect for the classroom. 👍🏼 🪴

III. Professional “Treats”

Make teacher life easier by using a gift card or personal budget to buy that one “ready-to-go” resource (like a comprehensive Project Rubric or a Daily Writing Journal set) to save you hours of prep.

I’ve linked some options above, but you can also check out my Seasonal Freebies page and my Freebies for Any Time of Year page.

Work smarter not harder! Other people have spent hours putting these resources together, done the legwork to align them to standards, and formatted them to be ready to go precisely for this reason!

IV. Celebrating Wins

The hard parts of our job often scream at us the loudest. Take the time to celebrate the wins – EVEN THE SMALL ONES!

Reflecting on student growth, like seeing an EL student master Weather Vocabulary or noticing the moments when a student seeks you out to say hello or ask for advice. These moments may be small, but they can have a big impact on our own mental health if we allow them to.

Another thing I like to do is collect any positive notes, letters, or messages I’ve received over my teaching tenure. Teacher Appreciation Week is a great time to pull them out and reminisce about previous students and the WHY that keeps you coming back each year.

You Can’t Pour From an Empty Cup

We’ve heard it before but I’ll say it again – You can’t pour from an empty cup. If none of these things trip your trigger, then please find yourself ones that do. YOU are worth celebrating – even if other people don’t celebrate you enough!

What is one way you’re treating yourself this week? Tell me in the comments!